Hull with deck supporting posts

ABSTRACT

A personal watercraft (PWC) is provided with a hull having an inner surface. An engine and jet propulsion unit are mounted to the hull and constructed and arranged to propel the PWC. A starboard support post extends generally upwardly from a starboard side of the inner surface of the hull and provides a starboard deck supporting surface. A port support post extends generally upwardly from a port side of the inner surface of the hull and provides a port deck supporting surface. A deck, which is constructed and arranged to support a rider in an operative riding position thereon, is mounted atop the hull with port and starboard supported portions of the deck engaging the port and starboard deck supporting surfaces, respectively, such that at least a portion of a weight of the rider is transferred to and borne by the deck supporting posts.

CROSS-REFERENCE

[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/286,518 titled “HULL WITH INTEGRALLY MOLDED DECK SUPPORTING POSTS,” filed on Apr. 27, 2001, which is incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the hull construction of personal watercraft, and more particularly to the structural support for a deck of a personal watercraft.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

[0003] Personal watercraft (PWCs) have become very popular in recent years. This type of watercraft is designed to be operated by one or more riders seated in a straddle fashion on the deck of the watercraft with his/their feet placed on either side of the seat. Alternatively, the PWC may be designed such that the rider(s) stands up with his feet placed on either side of the PWC. The engine lies within an engine compartment, which is positioned in front of a tunnel. The tunnel extends forwardly along the underside of the hull from a rearward end, which is disposed at the stem of the hull, to a forward end, which is disposed rearwardly of the bow of the hull. A jet propulsion unit is driven by the engine and is located within the tunnel partially between the hull and deck and partially below the hull.

[0004] PWCs are designed to be quick and maneuverable. To exhibit these desired attributes, it is important that the watercraft be as light as possible. A heavy watercraft is contrary to the desired construction because it would lie low in the water, reducing its acceleration and maneuverability.

[0005] Not only must a PWC be “sporty” in nature, it must be durable. The deck of a PWC must be strong enough to support the entire weight of the rider(s), whose weight is mostly borne by the seat and footrests on the deck. Because the engine and portions of the jet propulsion unit and tunnel are disposed between the deck and the hull, there is little room to provide sufficient support to the deck from the hull.

[0006] In all PWCs, a deck extends between lateral sides of the hull over the engine. Spanning the entire lateral distance between gunwales of the PWC, the deck acts like a bridge supporting the rider above the engine. In order to give the deck enough strength to support a rider thereon, the deck in conventional PWCs must be constructed of a heavy material, such as thick fiberglass laminates. The resulting weight of such a deck is significant, which reduces acceleration and maneuverability of the PWC.

[0007] Another conventional way of providing support to the deck of a boat is to utilize a bulkhead that spans the lateral distance between the gunwales underneath the deck itself. However, such a beam is impractical in a PWC because the beam would interfere with the already tight engine space and add significantly greater weight to the PWC.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] The present invention provides a personal watercraft that has a hull with an inner surface. An engine is mounted within the hull and operatively connected to a propulsion system, which is constructed and arranged to propel the personal watercraft using power from the engine. A starboard support post extends generally upwardly from a starboard side of the inner surface of the hull and provides a starboard deck supporting surface. A port support post extends generally upwardly from a port side of the inner surface of the hull and provides a port deck supporting surface. A deck, which is constructed and arranged to support a rider in an operative riding position thereon, is mounted atop the hull with port and starboard supported portions of the deck engaging the port and starboard deck supporting surfaces, respectively. The support posts may be integrally formed with the hull, integrally formed with the deck, or attached to the hull and/or deck after the hull and deck are constructed.

[0009] When a rider stands on the supported portions or sits on the seat with his or her feet supported by the supported portions, at least a portion of a weight of the rider is transferred to the hull through the portions of the deck supported by the deck supporting posts. Consequently, the supported portions of the deck (and, therefore, the deck overall) can comprise a lighter, weaker material than is conventionally used in PWC construction because the entire deck does not support the weight of the rider. In other words, portions of the deck not designed to support the weight of the rider may be made lighter (in weight) to reduce the overall weight of the vessel.

[0010] In the PWC of the present invention, because the resulting weight of the deck is reduced by more than the weight of the support posts, the total weight of the PWC is reduced as compared to the conventional PWC without support posts. Reducing the PWC's weight results in improved acceleration and maneuverability. Furthermore, the support posts make the PWC of the present invention structurally stronger than conventional PWCs.

[0011] Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] For a better understanding of the present invention as well as other objects and further features thereof, reference is made to the following description which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, where:

[0013]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a PWC with a rider thereon according to the present invention;

[0014]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the PWC according to the present invention with the deck removed;

[0015]FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the PWC according to the present invention;

[0016]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the PWC according to the present invention with the deck removed;

[0017]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a foam hull core of the PWC according to the present invention;

[0018]FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a PWC according to a first alternate embodiment of the present invention;

[0019]FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a PWC according to a second alternate embodiment of the present invention;

[0020]FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a PWC according to a third alternate embodiment of the present invention; and

[0021]FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a PWC according to a fourth alternate embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0022]FIG. 1 illustrates a PWC 10 constructed according to the present invention. The PWC 10 includes a deck (or deck shell) 12 mounted atop a hull 14 using a bonding agent, rivets, or any other fastener known in the art. If a bonding agent is used, the bonding agent is preferably applied in a 2 to 4 mm thick layer. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, a straddle-type seat 16 is disposed on the deck 12 generally above an engine compartment 19 such that the seat 16 is laterally centered on the watercraft 10. A steering device 18 is disposed in front of the seat so that a rider 20 can control the PWC 10.

[0023] Starboard and port gunwales 24, 22 extend along a substantial portion of the starboard and port sides of the PWC 10. As can be seen in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 3, the gunwales protrude upwardly at the outer edges of the deck 12 to discourage water from splashing onto the deck.

[0024] The deck includes a starboard supported portion 26 disposed between the starboard gunwale 24 and the seat 16 to provide a place for a rider 20 to firmly place his or her feet for support. Similarly, the deck includes a port supported section 28 disposed between the port gunwale 22 and the seat 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the supported sections 26, 28 are footrests preferably provided with non-slip surfaces, such as rubber, that improve the traction between the feet of the rider 20 and the supported portions 26, 28. In the present embodiment, the supported portions 26, 28 extend longitudinally on the starboard and port sides of the PWC 10 from near the rearward end of the seat 16 to a position forward of the seat 18. However, it should be noted that depending on the specific seat configuration (multiple-person seat, standing configuration, etc.), the length and position of the supported portions 26, 28 could vary without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0025] The supported portions 26, 28 of the deck 12, the seat 16, and the steering device 18 are positioned to accommodate a rider 20 in an operative riding position, which may be a seated position or a standing position. The position illustrated in FIG. 1 is a seated position.

[0026] As illustrated in FIG. 2, an engine 30 (shown in dashed lines) is mounted to the hull 14 and is generally laterally centered in the PWC 10. A propulsion system 32 (shown in dashed lines), in the form of an impeller system, is operatively connected to the engine 30 so as to propel the PWC 10 using power from the engine 30. A fuel tank 34 that is operatively connected to the engine 30 is laterally centered on the hull 14 and positioned forward of the engine 30. Alternatively, the engine could be placed forward of the fuel tank.

[0027] Hereinafter, the support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. The support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 are structural elements that extend upwardly from the hull 14 and engage an inner surface of the deck 12. While six posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 are illustrated, those skilled in the art would readily appreciate that a greater or fewer number may be employed without deviating from the scope of the present invention. Moreover, while specific locations for each support post 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 are shown, those skilled in the art would readily appreciate that these locations are merely exemplary of the embodiments described and are not meant to be limiting in any way.

[0028]FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the PWC 10 with the deck 12 and engine 30 removed. The first starboard and port support posts 36, 38 are shown in a position toward the stem of the PWC 10. The second starboard and port support posts 40, 42 are disposed longitudinally forward of the first starboard and port support posts 36, 38. The third starboard and port support posts 44, 46 are disposed longitudinally forward of the second starboard and port support posts 40, 42. The first, second, and third port support posts 38, 42, 46 are disposed on an opposite lateral side of the PWC 10 from the first, second, and third starboard support posts 36, 40, 44, respectively.

[0029] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the engine 30 is preferably at least partially disposed between the second starboard support post 40 and the second port support post 42. The engine 30 is also preferably disposed at least partially between the first starboard support post 36 and the first port support post 38. The fuel tank 34 is preferably at least partially disposed between the third starboard support post 44 and the third port support post 46. Because the support posts do not extend into the lateral center of the PWC 10, ample space is provided for the engine 30 and fuel tank 34.

[0030] First, second, and third starboard and port support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 extend generally upwardly and inwardly from the starboard and port sides 14 a, 14 b, respectively, of an inner surface 14 c of the hull 14. The upper surfaces 36 a, 38 a, 40 a, 42 a, 44 a, 46 a of the support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 define deck supporting surfaces that engage the supported portions 26, 28 of the deck 12 when the deck 12 is mounted onto the hull 14. As with the hull 14, the supported portions 26, 28 of the deck 12 may be fastened to the upper surfaces 36 a, 38 a, 40 a, 42 a, 44 a, 46 a of the support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 with a bonding agent, rivets, or any other fastening device known in the art.

[0031]FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the PWC 10 taken through the second starboard and port support posts 40, 42. Support post 40, 42 preferably include ridges 40 b, 42 b that extend upwardly adjacent the inner and outer lateral sides of the supported portions 26, 28. The ridges 40 b, 42 b are particularly advantageous if the support posts 40, 42 are fastened to the supported portions 26, 28 using a bonding agent because the ridges 40 b, 42 b discourage the bonding agent from accidentally flowing into areas other than where the deck supporting surfaces 40 a, 42 a of the support posts engage the supported portions 26, 28 of the deck 12. While FIG. 3 only illustrates support posts 40, 42 with ridges 40 b, 42 b, it should be noted that the remaining support posts 36, 38, 44, 46 may include similar ridges, as shown.

[0032] The starboard support posts 36, 40, 44 are disposed entirely on the starboard side 14 a of the hull 14. Likewise, the port support posts 38, 42, 46 are disposed entirely on the port side 14 b of the hull 14. Laterally-inward portions of the support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 preferably extend laterally inwardly toward a longitudinally extending centerline 48 of the PWC 10 as the support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 extend upwardly toward the supported portions 26, 28 of the deck 12.

[0033] As illustrated in FIG. 3, for example, foam gunwale inserts 50 are disposed between the deck 12 and hull 14 within the gunwales 22, 24 to add buoyancy and support to the gunwales 22, 24. The gunwale inserts 50 may be bonded to the deck 12 and/or hull 14.

[0034] Hereinafter, the construction of the hull 14 and support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5.

[0035] In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 are formed integrally with the hull 14. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of a core 60, which includes a hull portion 60 a and support post portions 60 b. The core 60 is preferably made of foam. As illustrated in FIG. 3, an outer shell 62 is affixed to an outer side of the core 60 to cover an outer side of the hull portion 60 a of the core 60. An inner shell 64 is affixed to an inner side of the core 60 to cover an inner side of the hull portion 60 a of the core 60 and the exposed surfaces of the support post portions 60 b of the core 60. Consequently, the inner shell 64 covers a substantial portion of the support post portions 60 b of the core 60, the remaining surfaces of the support post portions 60 b being formed integrally with the hull portion 60 a of the core. An outer surface of the inner shell 64 therefore forms the supporting surfaces 36 a, 38 a, 40 a, 42 a, 44 a, 46 a of the support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46.

[0036] The inner and outer shells 62,64 are preferably fiberglass and are bonded to the foam core 60. If a composite fiberglass/foam hull 14 is chosen, the hull 14 is constructed by spraying fiberglass into a gel-coated hull mold to form the outer shell 62. The core 60 is then positioned on top of the outer shell 62. The core 60 is preferably fastened to the outer shell 62 via the uncured adhesive in the fiberglass, or separately bonded to the outer shell 62. An additional layer of fiberglass is then sprayed over the core 60 to form the inner shell 64. Throughout the cross-sectional drawings, various hull and deck shells are illustrated as lines or elements having finite thicknesses. Notwithstanding this difference, the lines and/or thickened elements in the figures represent the same type of structure, which, as discussed above, is preferably fiberglass.

[0037] Holes 60 c are provided in the core 60 to allow the inner and outer shells 62, 64 to bond directly to each other. The holes 60 c thereby strengthen the overall composite hull 14 because they reduce the span between the contact layers of the inner and outer shells 62, 64.

[0038]FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an alternative embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to the previous embodiment except that the core 170 of the hull 114 is formed separately from the cores 176 of the support posts 136, 138, 140, 142, 144, 146. An outer shell 172 is mounted to an outer side of the hull core 170 to form an outer side of the hull 114. An inner shell 174 is applied to an inner side of the hull core 170 to create a strong composite hull 114. The individual support post cores 176 are then mounted to an inner surface of the inner shell 174. Finally, support post shells 178 are applied to the exposed surfaces of the support post cores 176, the support post shells 178 preferably being bonded to the inner shell 174. The deck (or deck shell) 112 can then be mounted to the hull 114.

[0039] Preferably, all of the shells 172, 174, 178 are fiberglass and all of the cores 170, 176 are foam. In such a case, fiberglass is sprayed onto a gel-coated hull mold to form the outer shell 172. The hull core 170 is then positioned on top of the outer shell 172 and preferably bonded thereto. A second layer of fiberglass is then sprayed over the hull core 170 to form the inner hull shell 174. The individual support post cores 176 are then positioned on top of the inner shell 174 and preferably bonded thereto. Finally, a third layer of fiberglass is sprayed over the support post cores 176 to form the support post shells 178.

[0040]FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an additional alternative embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to the first alternative embodiment except that the support posts 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246 are formed completely independently from the hull 214. Like in the previous embodiments, the hull 214 comprises inner and outer shells 284, 282 mounted around a core 280. Unlike the previous embodiments, however, the support posts 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246 are independently formed and made of a strong light material such as plastic, aluminum, high density foam, or stainless steel. These support posts 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246 may form a shell having similar dimensions as the foam/fiberglass posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 in the first embodiment. Alternatively, the support posts 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246 according to this embodiment may comprise I-beam type shapes or any other shape known in the art to provide strength. The support posts 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246 are then fastened to the inner surface of the inner shell 284 of the hull 214. The fastener preferably comprises a plurality of rivets 286, but may also be any other type of fastener known in the art. For example, an additional layer of fiberglass could be sprayed on to sandwich the base of the support posts 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246 against the inner surface of the hull 214. The support posts 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246 may then be mounted to the deck (or deck shell) 212 when the deck 212 is mounted to the hull 214. Alternatively, the support posts 236, 238, 240, 242, 244, 246 may be mounted to the deck 212 before being mounted to the hull 214.

[0041]FIG. 8 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an additional alternative embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3 except that a plurality of dampers 390 are disposed between the upper surfaces 336 a, 338 a, 340 a, 342 a, 344 a, 346 a of the support posts 336, 338, 340, 342, 344, 346, which are mounted to the hull 314, and the supported portions 326, 328 of the deck 312. A damper 390 is preferably disposed in each of the six intersections between the upper surfaces 336 a, 338 a, 340 a, 342 a, 344 a, 346 a and the supported portions 326, 328. The dampers 390 are preferably made of a resilient material such as rubber. As a result, the supported portions 326, 328 can deflect downwardly and compress the dampers 390 to some extent. After the supported portions 326, 328 have compressed the dampers 390, the supported portions 326, 328 engage the port and starboard upper surfaces 336 a, 338 a, 340 a, 342 a, 344 a, 346 a through the dampers 390 and receive more substantial load-bearing support. Each damper 390 preferably extends over at least a substantial portion of each upper surface 336 a, 338 a, 340 a, 342 a, 344 a, 346 a .

[0042]FIG. 9 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an additional alternative embodiment of the present invention, which is similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 except that the sup port post cores 476 of the support posts 436, 438, 440, 442, 444, 446 are mounted to the deck shell 412 a of the deck 412 before being mounted to the hull 414. The individual support posts cores 476 are mounted to an inner side of the deck shell 412 a. Finally, support post shells 478 are mounted on the exposed surfaces of the support post cores 476, the support post shells 478 preferably being bonded to the inner surface of the deck shell 412 a.

[0043] An outer shell 472 of the hull 414 is mounted to an outer side of the hull core 470 to form an outer side of the hull 414. An inner shell 474 is mounted to an inner side of the hull core 470 to create a strong composite hull 414.

[0044] Preferably, the support post shells 478 and deck shell 412 a are fiberglass and the support post cores 476 are foam. To form the deck 412 in such a case, fiberglass is sprayed onto a gel-coated deck mold to form the deck shell 412 a. The support post cores 476 are then positioned on the inner surface of the deck shell 412 a and preferably bonded thereto. A second layer of fiberglass is then sprayed over the support post cores 476 and at least a portion of the inner side of the deck shell 412 a to form the support post shells 478. As a result, the support posts 436, 438, 440, 442, 444, 446 and the deck shell 412 a form an integral deck 412 such that the support posts 436, 438, 440, 442, 444, 446 and the deck shell 412 a are permanently fixed to each other. When the deck 412 is mounted on the hull 414, the shells 478 of the support posts 436, 438, 440, 442, 444, 446 are bonded or otherwise secured to the inner shell 474 of the hull 414.

[0045] While the foam gunwale inserts 450 in this embodiment are formed separately from the support post cores 476, the inserts 450 and cores 476 may also be formed integrally into a gunwale/support post core that is sandwiched between the deck shell 412 a and a fiberglass support post shell to form the deck.

[0046] Hereinafter, the functionality and advantages of the PWC 10 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3. When a rider 20 stands on the footrests or sits on the seat 16 with his or her feet supported by the footrests, at least a portion of a weight of the rider 20 is transferred through the supported portions 26, 28 of the deck 12 and borne by the deck supporting posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46. Consequently, the footrest portion, which includes the supported portions 26, 28 of the deck 12 and the deck 12 generally can comprise a lighter, weaker material because the deck 12 need not alone support the weight of the rider 20 over the entire span between the port and starboard edges of the PWC 10, as is required in conventional PWCs. Because the resulting weight of the deck 12 is reduced by more than the weight of the newly added support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46, the total weight of the PWC 10 is reduced as compared to conventional PWC without support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46. This reduction in the weight of the PWC results in improved acceleration and maneuverability of PWC according to the present invention. Furthermore, the support posts 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 make the PWC 10 of the present invention structurally stronger than conventional PWCs because they offer a lattice-type structure to the interior of the PWC 10 (among other things).

[0047] The foregoing illustrated embodiments are provided to illustrate the structural and functional principles of the present invention and are not intended to be limiting. To the contrary, the principles of the present invention are intended to encompass any and all changes, alterations and/or substitutions within the spirit and scope of the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A personal watercraft comprising: a hull having an inner surface; an engine mounted to the watercraft; a propulsion system operatively connected to the engine, the propulsion system being constructed and arranged to propel the personal watercraft using power from the engine; a starboard support post extending generally upwardly from a starboard side of the inner surface of the hull and providing a starboard deck supporting surface; a port support post extending generally upwardly from a port side of the inner surface of the hull and providing a port deck supporting surface; and a deck mounted atop the hull with port and starboard supported portions of the deck engaging the port and starboard deck supporting surfaces, respectively.
 2. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the supported portions of the deck are footrests that are positioned to support a rider's feet.
 3. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the starboard support post is disposed entirely on a starboard side of the personal watercraft and the port support post is disposed entirely on the port side of the personal watercraft.
 4. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the support posts are formed integrally with the hull.
 5. The personal watercraft of claim 4, wherein the hull comprises a composite material.
 6. The personal watercraft of claim 5, wherein the composite material comprises fiberglass laminate.
 7. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the hull comprises a foam core disposed between an inner fiberglass shell and an outer fiberglass shell.
 8. The personal watercraft of claim 7, wherein the support posts each comprise a foam core and a fiberglass shell.
 9. The personal watercraft of claim 8, wherein the fiberglass shells of the support posts are one of integrally molded with and bonded to the inner fiberglass shell of the hull.
 10. The personal watercraft of claim 8, wherein the foam cores of the support posts are integrally formed with the foam core of the hull.
 11. The personal watercraft of claim 9, wherein the inner fiberglass shell of the hull separates the foam cores of the support posts from the foam core of the hull.
 12. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein laterally-inward portions of the support posts extend laterally inwardly toward a longitudinally-running centerline of the personal watercraft and upwardly toward the supported portions of the deck.
 13. The personal watercraft of claim 3, wherein the engine is disposed at least partially between the starboard support post and the port support post.
 14. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the propulsion system is a jet pump.
 15. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the deck is secured to the hull with a fastener.
 16. The personal watercraft of claim 15, wherein the fastener is a bonding agent.
 17. The personal watercraft of claim 16, wherein the supported portions of the deck are secured to the deck supporting surfaces of the support posts with the bonding agent.
 18. The personal watercraft of claim 15, wherein the fastener comprises a plurality of rivets.
 19. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the support posts are attached to the hull with a fastener.
 20. The personal watercraft of claim 19, wherein the fastener attaching the support posts to the hull comprises a plurality of rivets.
 21. The personal watercraft of claim 19, wherein the support posts comprise at least one of plastic, aluminum, high density foam, and stainless steel.
 22. The personal watercraft of claim 1, further comprising: second and third starboard support posts extending generally upwardly from the starboard side of the inner surface of the hull and providing two additional starboard deck supporting surfaces that engage additional starboard supported portions of the deck, the starboard support posts being spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the watercraft; and second and third port support posts extending generally upwardly from the port side of the inner surface of the hull and providing two additional port deck supporting surfaces that engage additional port supported portions of the deck, the port support posts being spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the watercraft.
 23. The personal watercraft of claim 22, wherein the second port and starboard support posts are disposed forward of the first port and starboard support posts, respectively, and wherein the third port and starboard support posts are disposed forwardly of the second port and starboard support posts, respectively.
 24. The personal watercraft of claim 23, wherein the engine is disposed at least partially between the second starboard support post and the second port support post.
 25. The personal watercraft of claim 24, further comprising a gas tank operatively connected to the engine, the gas tank being disposed at least partially between the third starboard support post and the third port support post.
 26. The personal watercraft of claim 25, wherein the engine is disposed at least partially between the first starboard support post and the first port support post.
 27. The personal watercraft of claim 1, further comprising port and starboard dampers disposed between the supported portions of the deck and the deck supporting surfaces.
 28. The personal watercraft of claim 27, wherein the dampers comprise a resilient material.
 29. The personal watercraft of claim 1, wherein the support posts and deck form an integral piece that is mounted to the hull.
 30. A personal watercraft hull assembly comprising: a hull having an inner surface; a starboard support post extending generally upwardly from a starboard side of the inner surface of the hull and providing a starboard deck supporting surface; and a port support post extending generally upwardly from a port side of the inner surface of the hull and providing a port deck supporting surface.
 31. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 30, wherein the starboard support post is disposed entirely on a starboard side of the hull and the port support post is disposed entirely on the port side of the hull.
 32. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 30, wherein the support posts are formed integrally with the hull.
 33. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 32, wherein the hull comprises a composite material.
 34. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 33, wherein the composite material comprises fiberglass laminate.
 35. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 30, wherein the hull comprises a foam core disposed between an inner fiberglass shell and an outer fiberglass shell.
 36. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 35, wherein the support posts each comprise a foam core and a fiberglass shell.
 37. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 36, wherein the fiberglass shells of the support posts are one of integrally molded with and bonded to the inner fiberglass shell of the hull.
 38. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 36, wherein the foam cores of the support posts are integrally formed with the foam core of the hull.
 39. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 37, wherein the inner fiberglass shell of the hull separates the foam cores of the support posts from the foam core of the hull.
 40. The personal watercraft hull assembly of claim 30, wherein laterally-inward portions of the support posts extend laterally inwardly toward a longitudinally-running centerline of the hull as they extend upwardly away from the inner surface of the hull.
 41. A deck for a personal watercraft, the deck comprising: a deck shell having starboard and port supported portions; a starboard support post having a starboard deck supporting surface that engages the starboard supported portion, the starboard support post extending generally downwardly from the starboard supported portion; and a port support post having a port deck supporting surface that engages the port supported portion, the port support post extending generally downwardly from the port supported portion.
 42. The deck of claim 41, wherein the support posts and deck shell are permanently fixed to each other.
 43. The deck of claim 41, wherein the deck shell comprises a fiberglass shell, and wherein the support posts each comprise a foam core and a fiberglass shell.
 44. The deck of claim 41, wherein laterally-inward portions of the support posts extend laterally inwardly toward a longitudinally-running centerline of the deck as they extend upwardly toward the supported portions of the deck.
 45. The deck of claim 41, wherein the supported portions of the deck shell are secured to the deck supporting surfaces of the support posts with a bonding agent. 